Chile Warrior

I have eaten the hottest chile pepper known to mankind.

Naga Jolokia, the "ghost chile." I attended Hell Night at the East Coast Grill & Raw Bar and ordered their Hell Pasta (after signing the mandatory waiver.)

How to describe the heat? It burned the way sipping a hot beverage would. An instant stinging. But- then it goes away, almost like wasabi. It doesn't instantly clear and you have to pace yourself because the heat seems to be residual, building mercilessly with each bite.

Now I feel a bit superhuman but am also a bit scared as well. Given its nickname of ghost chile, what might I expect to haunt me?

Small Plates

Long before tapas were trendy and small plates was its own dining category, Korean restaurants have served banchan. Banchan is an assortment of cold side dishes that come complimentary with the meal. A few of my favorites:

Kimchi - fermented cabbage with chili. Some may complain this stuff is too spicy but I could eat it by the jarful (and I do.) It's full of healthy probiotics too.

Kongnamul - bean sprouts with sesame oil.

Spicy radish - cubes of daikon in the same chili sauce as kimchi.

Spinach - wilted spinach with garlic and sesame seeds.

Though tempting to devour this petite feast as a meal save some room for bibimbap or japchae.

My favorite Korean restaurant is Yechon, which is back home in Annandale, Virginia and open twenty-four hours.